spanish lessons: errors and mistakes in spanish

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Errors are part of the learning process. We all make mistakes when Spanish is not our first language.
Be big enough to admit your mistakes, smart enough to profit from them and strong enough to correct them.

To make it clear, we are going to use this color scheme:

Blue

The title

Red

The mistake

Yellow

The explanation

Green

Correct examples

Ask and ask for

I asked for a beer. I ordered a beer.

* Pregunté por una cerveza.*

Preguntar = to ask (when you want to know something)
Pedir = to ask for (when you want something)

I asked for a beer. I ordered a beer.

Pedí una cerveza.

I asked him if he had beer.

Le pregunté si tenia cerveza.

Realize

I didn't realize.

*No me realicé.*

"Realizar": means to carry out, execute, to make, to conduct. If you want to say "realize" in Spanish you have to say: "Darse cuenta".

Normally we use "que" eg. "más que yo" = "more than I", but when we use numbers we use "de".

There were more than 20 people at the conference.

Había más de 20 personas en la conferencia.

He knows more than I.

El sabe más que yo.

The person I live with

The boy I live with.

*El chico que vivo con.*

Prepositions never come at the end of a sentence in Spanish. The preposition must come before a noun, a pronoun or an article.

The boy I live with.

El chico con quien vivo. / El chico con el que vivo.

Whom can I speak to?

¿Con quién puedo hablar?

He's dressed in red

He's dressed in red.

*Está vestido en rojo.*

When we use dressed in + "a color" we use "de".

He's dressed in red.

Está vestido de rojo.

Support

I supported his decision.

*Soportaba su decisión.*

"Soportar" = "to tolerate" or "to put up with" or "to stand (have patience for)". In most cases we use "apoyar".

I supported his decision.

Yo apoyaba su decisión.

I can't stand Juan.

No soporto a Juan.

Story

I like adventure stories.

*Me gustan las cuentas de aventuras.*

Cuento = story or tale
Contar una historia = to tell a story
Cuenta = Cuenta bancaria = bank account
Cuenta = a sum (mathematical calculation)
Cuenta = Bill in a restaurant: Note that we use "cuenta" for a bill with food and drinks, but for other types of bill we use "factura" eg. plumbers, in the garage etc.

I like adventure stories.

Me gustan los cuentos de aventuras.

I don't have any money in my account.

No tengo fondos en mi cuenta.

They always make mistakes in the bill.

Siempre se equivocan en la cuenta.

Can you bring us the bill please?

¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?

Take someone / Take something

I took my son to the airport.

*Tomé a mi hijo al aeropuerto.*

To express the idea of giving someone a lift or taking someone somewhere, we use the verb "llevar".
To express the idea of taking something such as a pill, a drink, a bus, etc. we use the verb "tomar".

I took my son to the airport.

Llevé a mi hijo al aeropuerto.

My son took a taxi to the airport.

Mi hijo tomo un taxi al aeropuerto.

Next

He drank a lot and the next morning he had a hangover.

*Bebió mucho y la próxima mañana tenía resaca.*

The "próxima/o" (next) is only used in the present and the future. In the past we must use "siguiente" (the following).

He drank a lot and the next morning he had a hangover.

Bebió mucho y la mañana siguente tenía resaca.

They met in 1990 and they will get married next year.

Se conocieron en 1990 y se van a casar el año próximo.

It was a success

The film was a big success in Argentina.

*La película tuvo mucho suceso en Argentina*.

Success in Spanish is "éxito". "Suceso" is an event.

The film was a big success in Argentina.

La pelicula tuvo mucho éxito en Argentina.

The event took place in the city.

El suceso tomó lugar en la ciudad.

I will be here for 5 days

I will be here for five days.

*Voy a estar aquí por cinco días.*

This is the answer to the question. How long are you going to be here?
In Spanish you have to say "voy a estar aquí" or the meaning is unclear.

I will be here for five days.

Voy a estar aquí cinco dias.

In the morning

In the morning

*en la mañana*

The problem is the preposition "en" it should be "a/por" or "de".

We use "a" (in) or "por" (during) when we speak about an approximate time: eg: A/Por la tarde doy un paseo. = I go for a walk in/during the evening.

We use "de" when we speak about the exact time: eg: A las 5 de la tarde doy un paseo. = I go for a walk at 5 o clock in the evening.

in the morning/during the morning

a la mañana/por la mañana

early in the morning

temprano a/por la mañana

at midday

al mediodía

at lunchtime

a la hora de comer/a la hora de almorzar

in the evening

a/por la tarde

at midnight

a medianoche

in the early hours of the morning

a/por la madrugada

I live in the Suburbs

I live in the suburbs.

*Vivo en los suburbios.*

The "suburbios" in Spanish is a conflictive area of a city with poverty and other problems. It is not a good translation of "suburb" or "outskirts"

I live in the suburbs of Bogota.

Vivo en las afueras de Bogotá.

To move

I'm going to move to another house.

*Voy a moverme a otra casa.*

When you want to say "to move" in the sense of changing where you live you have to use the verb "mudarse".
"Moverse" is to move as in movement.
"Correrse" is to move over.

I'm going to move to another house.

Voy a mudarme a otra casa.

The dancer moves with grace.

La bailarina se mueve con gracia.

Please move over.

Córrete por favor.

Regarding / To respect

I don't know anything regarding this subject.

*No sé nada respeto a este asunto.*

You must respect your wife.

*Debes respectar a tu esposa.*

"Respecto a" (regarding) and "respeto" (respect).

I don't know anything regarding this subject.

No sé nada respecto a este asunto.

You must respect your wife.

Debes respetar a tu esposa.

My oldest / youngest brother

My oldest/youngest brother

*Mi hermano más viejo/joven*

You have to use "mayor" or "menor".

My oldest brother lives in Guatemala.

Mi hermano mayor vive en Guatemala.

Patricia is my youngest daughter.

Patricia es mi hija menor.

Look for - Search

I am looking for my book.

*Estoy mirando para mi libro.*

"Mirando para" doesn't exist, it's a literal translation from English. You can use "buscar" but it has no preposition.
Note: When the thing we are looking for is a person we add "a" after "buscar".

I am looking for my book.

Estoy buscando mi libro.

I am looking at the book.

Estoy mirando el libro.

Entradas

Did you buy the tickets for the cinema?

*¿Compraste los boletos para el cine?*

"Boletos" or "Pasajes" are for travel tickets. We use "entradas" for ticket to the theater or cinema or shows.
By the way: A showing in the cinema is the "la sesión" A performance at the theatre is "la función"